Broken Wings
by TopazGirl96
Summary: After Edward left Bella, Charlie became abusive. When Bella goes to Italy to save Edward, will she be strong enough to make it to him on time? And what awaits her when she's back at home?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is my first fanfiction! I really hope it turns out well and that I am able to finish it. I would just like to say, right now, that I'm not going to push you to review. I have read other stories where the author threatens to stop writing if they don't get enough reviews, and I think that's really annoying. So if you want to review, then review, and if you don't want to review, then don't review. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the Characters; Stephanie Meyer does.**

It was another horrible day at school.

Not that anything particularly bad had happened, but every day was horrible without Edward.

I was driving home in my old truck, seeing the road but not really seeing it. My mind was on autopilot, and my brain barely registered the lightning that flashed across the sky and the gusts of wind that threw buckets of water onto my windshield.

By the time I got home it was raining so hard I couldn't see five feet in front of me. I could vaguely see that Charlie's cruiser was in the driveway, which was odd, because he usually wasn't home this early. I stepped out of my truck, my body still on autopilot, into the pouring rain. However, I couldn't feel the wet, or the cold. I could only feel the hole in my chest that I had recognized as heartbreak. I started walking slowly through the downpour, towards the dark smudge that I assumed to be my house.

I didn't know I had reached the front door until I tripped over the welcome mat. I caught myself on the doorknob, which twisted and flung the door open. After I regained my balance, a tiny feeling of suspicion registered in my brain. Why did Charlie leave the door open? He always locked it…

However, the feeling of suspicion drowned in the pain of my heartbreak. I closed the door, stooped down, and took off my wet boots, leaving them in front of the door. Then I straightened up and headed toward the stairs.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Shocked, I turned around. Charlie stood five feet behind me, his hair disheveled, his eyes yellow, his face filled with rage. In his hand was a can of beer, which was weird. I had never seen Charlie drink before.

He stared at me, waiting for an answer.

"I-I," I stuttered, "I was just going to my room to do my homework and-"

"ENOUGH!" Charlie roared. "Enough with the excuses! Why are you dripping all over the floor?"

I looked down at myself. Sure enough, I was sopping wet. I guess I hadn't noticed.

"Oh," was all I was able to say.

"Look at the mess you made!" Charlie growled.

I tore my eyes away from my soaked clothes to the floor, and I saw that there was a trail of water from the front door to the place I stood. The water dripping from my hair and clothes had accumulated on the floor under where I was standing, forming a puddle.

Ashamed, I kept my eyes down as I murmured, "I'm sorry."

Suddenly, I heard the sound of Charlie's heavy boots stomping loudly on the floor. I looked up to see him and his red, outraged face and clenched fists storming towards me. Without hesitating, he grabbed me by the arm with his left hand and punched me with his right. The surprise of it hurt more than the pain did. Charlie _never_ hit me. What was going on with him? I carefully scrutinized his face for any hint or regret, but came up empty. I only found anger.

As quickly as he had come, he released his grip on me, leaving a shocking red mark on my arm. He turned his back on me and walked away, wobbling slightly.

I was still wet, but I really wanted to get as far away from Charlie as I could, so I quickly headed upstairs and locked myself in the bathroom. I took a long, warm shower, and then toweled myself off. When I brought the towel to my face, I felt a sharp pain, making me gasp. I hastily wiped the fog off the mirror and examined my face. I found a dark purple bruise about the size of a golf ball on my right cheek. The bruise was badly swollen and ringed with red.

Without thinking, I reached up with my finger to touch it, and it sent daggers across my face even when I applied only the slightest pressure. I gripped the edge of the bathroom counter for support.

When the pain subsided, I tried my best to ignore the bruise and got dressed. I headed into my room and collapsed on my bed. Homework was not an option. I was in no shape for that.

Exhausted from the torturous day, I fell asleep quickly. However, my dreams did little to comfort me.

I dreamt of Edward, yet again. He was walking away from me in the forest after he had broken up with me. I was desperately trying to keep up with him, but whenever I sped up, he sped up even more. Pretty soon I was sprinting after him, but he was just too fast, and he disappeared from my view. I tried to run faster, but I tripped over a root and fell, landing on the wet earth, getting a mouthful of dirt.

I woke up in a cold sweat, panting. I glanced over at the clock. It was just past two in the morning. Groaning, I laid my head down on the pillow again, but I knew there was no way that I would fall asleep. I got up and tiptoed out of the house, careful not to wake Charlie. I was sure that he would punch me even harder if he caught me trying to sneak out. The thought of it made me shudder.

I closed the door softly behind me, and walked through the rain to my truck. It wasn't raining as hard as it had been before, but it was enough to thoroughly soak me by the time I climbed into my truck.

I started the engine, and drove, but I had no idea where I was going. My mind was on autopilot again. A loud clap of thunder awakened my mind, and I slammed on the brakes. I looked around, but could barely make out anything in the darkness. Where was I?

I got out of my truck and tentatively walked around in the pitch black, trying to get my bearings. Suddenly, my left food slid in some particularly slippery mud, and I slipped. I tried to regain my balance, but I couldn't and I fell on my back. I groaned, and got up. I was about to start walking again, but then I heard, almost a hundred feet under me, the crashing of violent waves.

I got on my hands and knees, and slid my right hand forward along the wet ground, until it met nothing but air.

I was on the top of a cliff.

I realized that I was in La Push, and remembered seeing some boys from the Quileute tribe jumping off this very cliff.

Why couldn't I give it a try? It wouldn't matter if I got hurt, I doubted anyone cared about me anymore…

I stood at the edge of the cliff, wind blowing in my face, the crashing of waves beneath me.

I stood, ready to jump.

**Sorry for the cliffhanger! I will try to update as soon as I can!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the second chapter! Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters; Stephanie Meyer does.**

For the first time in months, my body wasn't on autopilot anymore.

When I bent my knees and let myself fly over the edge of the cliff, I was completely aware of the action. I welcomed the danger, I welcomed the wind. I welcomed the gravity that pulled me down. I even welcomed the cold knives that mercilessly stabbed me when I went underwater.

I hadn't realized that I had been falling with my knees still bent, so that when I landed, they took the full force of the blow. They felt like they were literally on fire, even though the water made the rest of my body feel as if I were stuck in an ice cube.

I let the water toss me around for a bit, but soon I could feel something besides the fire of my knees and the cold of my body: the searing pain deep in my chest. This pain was different from the heartbreak; it hurt less, but it was more noticeable, harder to ignore.

I quickly identified it as the lack of oxygen in my lungs, but I really didn't feel like pulling myself up to the surface. I didn't feel like doing anything. I doubted that I could move one inch even if I wanted to, what with the pain rippling through my knees and all.

But the pain in my lungs grew and expanded, until the pain of my knees felt like a paper cut compared to the raging flames that seemed to consume my chest whole. So I raised my arms – numb from the cold – above my head, cupped my hands, and forced my arms back down. The motion raised my body a tiny inch towards the surface, and I repeated it again, and again, and again. When I was almost there the pain in my lungs became so unbearable that I kicked out my legs to help push me to the surface, but then more pain exploded in my knees.

After one last push with my arms, my head broke the surface and I gulped in mouthfuls of air. It took me almost five minutes to start breathing normally again. The whole time, I treaded water using just my arms, my legs limply hanging down. When my arms started to get tired, I knew I needed to get to shore. But where was it?

I looked around; all I could see was darkness. I looked up, trying to find the cliff I had jumped off of, but all that met me was the pouring rain falling on my face.

Suddenly, a brilliant bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating everything around me for a split second. But that was plenty of time. With the brief flash, I was able to make out that the shore was just a couple hundred feet away.

I pulled myself forward bit by bit, slowly but surely. When I was about fifty feet away, my arms got so tired I could barely move them. So I spun my body upwards and lay on my back in the dark water, letting it hold me. Breathing heavily from the work, I looked up at the sky, and saw that a tiny patch of sky had been exposed from behind the constant cover of clouds. The few stars that I could see twinkled and shone in the dark sky until a cloud covered the small space once again.

I didn't have to swim much farther after that; after a few more yards, the tide helped carry me in.

Relieved, I collapsed on the sand, closed my eyes, and allowed myself to relax. I felt oddly numb. At ease.

Until I wondered what time it was.

I quickly opened my eyes to find the faint fingers of dawn just beginning to stretch over the horizon.

_Crap_.

Charlie would be so mad if he found out that I had snuck out. And I most certainly did not want a repeat of what had happened…I shuddered at the memory.

I tried to stand up, but the fire licked up my knees and I groaned. How on earth was I supposed to make it to my truck?

There was no way. It was impossible.

But Charlie…

Resolve strengthened me. It gave me the sheer will power and determination that I needed to be able to stand up.

It was no easy task. But I finally made it. My knees were screaming and I was wobbly, but I made it.

I walked extremely slowly. I knew that with my wobbly knees, my balance would be even worse than usual. Each step was absolutely excruciating. The only thing that kept me going was the knowledge that the pain that it caused me to make this trip would be less than the pain of Charlie's punishment if he woke up and I was not home.

By the time I made it to my truck, the sun was up. It was behind the clouds, of course, but I could tell by the way the clouds looked grey instead of black that it was up.

I began to panic. Charlie was usually a really early riser.

Hastily, I climbed in my truck and started the ignition. It roared to life, and I drove home as fast as my truck could travel. Which was not very fast.

It hurt my knees to push the pedal down, but the pain was nothing compared to the pain of walking.

The clock read 7:18 as I pulled into the driveway and hurried into the house as fast as my knees could carry me.

Apparently, though, it was not fast enough.

Because when I opened the door, Charlie stood five feet away, waiting for me. I noticed a broken beer bottle near his feet.

"Where have you been?" Charlie roared.

What was I supposed to say?

"Well, I-"

"Why is it that every time you come home now, you're soaking wet?"

Crap. Forgot about that…

"Where have you been?" he repeated.

Fear paralyzed me and locked my jaw shut. I desperately tried to speak, but I could not utter a sound.

Charlie's face had turned an angry red. He stomped towards me and punched me on the side of my face. The lock on my jaw broke as I cried out in pain.

"Answer me when I talk to you!" Charlie growled.

He punched me again, in the gut. Another whimper of pain escaped my lips.

"Shut up!"

He hit me again, and this time the force of it sent me crashing down on the hard floor. I breathed heavily, deeply in pain. But I dared not make a sound.

I could feel his presence as he loomed over me, probably watching to make sure I wasn't going to escape out the door. After a minute, I heard his heavy footsteps as he walked away.

It seemed like forever before I could move again. But when I could, I took the opportunity and dragged myself upstairs to my room as quickly as I could. I made it, and collapsed on my bed in complete exhaustion.

I stared at the window into the rain while raindrops of my own poured down my cheeks. I remembered how Edward used to come through that window to spend the night with me…

The hole in my chest made itself known once again, and the heartbreak hurt this time more than it ever did.

I needed him, I needed him so bad…

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. I sat up, startled. Who on earth could that be?

**I will update soon!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone who reviewed! When I read your reviews, and I saw that people actually liked my story, I sat down right away and wrote the next chapter! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters; Stephanie Meyer does.**

I quietly slipped from my room and stood at the top of the stairs.

I watched as Charlie unlocked and opened the door.

I saw that it was Jacob. He looked slightly alarmed as he looked past Charlie at the beer bottles and cans littering the floor.

"What are you doing here?" Charlie snapped.

Jacob tore his eyes from a pile of broken glass near the stairs and looked at Charlie as he answered.

"I'm here to see Bella. Is she home?"

"No! She's not!" Charlie snarled.

"When will she be home?"

"Not for a while."

Jacob sighed. "Okay. Will you tell her I came?"

"Sure," Charlie muttered, but his tone made it obvious that he wouldn't.

Jacob's eyes flickered to the pile of broken glass once again, and then he turned and left.

The second Jacob's car was out of sight, Charlie slammed the door shut. The house seemed to vibrate at the force of the slam.

"BELLA!" Charlie bellowed.

I cringed. "Yes?"

"Get down here NOW!"

I hurried down the stairs.

"Yes?" I repeated, once I was down.

Charlie turned to face me. His eyes were full of outrage.

"I don't want you seeing any friends."

"Why not?" I asked.

That was a mistake.

Charlie stomped over and roughly grabbed my arm.

"Don't you dare contradict me!"

Then he yanked my arm so hard I was sure it had come out of its socket. I clamped my lips together to keep from screaming. However, a small whimper slid through. It was quiet, but Charlie heard it.

"Stop crying!" he growled, while he gave me a shove.

I stumbled back and collided with a wall. I barely had time to recover before he punched me in the gut. I doubled over in pain, and he used the opportunity to push me to the floor and then kick me in the ribs. He kicked again and again in the same spot, and I was sure at least two ribs were broken.

"Now get up and clean up this mess!" Charlie ordered, gesturing to the bottles and cans on the floor. Then he turned and stalked away.

I was in no condition for getting up, but I knew he would hurt me again if he came back over and found me still lying on the floor. So I slowly got up, trying to ignore my aching ribs, sore stomach, and burning knees, and began cleaning up Charlie's mess. Every time I bent down to pick up a bottle or a can, my ribs and my stomach screamed in pain, but eventually I had them all picked up and put in the trash bin.

When I was done, I retired to my room, hoping to take a nap. But I had just lain down on my bed when the phone rang.

Since I was the one who usually answered the phone, I picked it up and pressed the talk button. I was about to say hello when I heard a click on the line, which meant that Charlie had picked up the phone as well. I knew that I should hang up, but for some reason I didn't.

"Hello?" Charlie said gruffly.

"Hi Charlie, it's Sue Clearwater."

"What do you want, Sue?" Charlie sounded bored.

"I wanted to let you know that…" her voice cracked, "… that Harry, my husband, died today. He went into cardiac arrest."

"Okay. Is that all?"

"Well, I was going to ask you if you could help arrange the funeral. I would do it myself, but I just can't handle it…"

"You want me to arrange your husband's funeral?" Charlie asked roughly.

"Well, yes."

"Why me?"

"Well, it's just because you were such great friends…" she broke off with a sob.

"Please!" she managed to say after a minute.

"Okay!" Charlie almost yelled. "Okay, I'll do it. Just stop crying, you're driving me crazy! When do you want me to do it?"

"As soon as possible…would tomorrow work?"

"Fine," Charlie grumbled.

"Thank you," Sue whispered.

"Yeah, okay. Bye." He hung up before Sue had a chance to say goodbye herself.

Suddenly, I got an idea. I quickly dialed Jacob's number. He picked up after two rings.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Jacob! It's me, Bella."

"Bella!" Jacob said enthusiastically, "I'm so glad you called! I actually came over to your house today, but you weren't home."

"Jacob," I said, "Listen, I need to tell you something…can you come over tomorrow?"

"Yeah, sure. You could even tell me now if you wanted-"

"Tomorrow," I cut him off. "I'll tell you tomorrow."

"Okay. See you then, Bells." He sounded confused and slightly anxious.

"See you. Bye."

"Bye."

He hung up and I put the phone away.

I wasn't tired, but I decided to go to bed so tomorrow would come as quickly as possible. I lay down on my bed, and it was almost two hours before I fell asleep.

Alice's Point of View

I was out hunting with Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie when I got the vision. Unlike many of my visions, it was crystal clear, and I could tell that it had already happened.

The vision was of Bella. She was standing on top of a cliff in the middle of the night, and it was pouring rain. I watched in horror as she jumped and fell almost a hundred feet before she landed in the water with a loud splash. Then the vision ended.

"Alice!" Jasper cried. "Alice, are you having a vision?"

My eyes snapped back into focus. Jasper was staring at me with a worried expression.

"You looked really horrified…Alice, what was the vision of?" Jasper asked.

I was pretty sure I was unable to speak, but I managed to squeak, "It… it's Bella."

"What happened?"

"She… she jumped off of a cliff."

Jasper gasped. Emmett looked appalled; Rosalie's face was blank, expressionless.

We were all silent for a minute. Finally, Rosalie said, "We have to tell Edward!"

"No!" I said, "We can't! Not yet! We don't know if she's dead!"

"He needs to know," Rosalie said, getting out her phone.

**I'll update soon! It's about to get a lot more interesting, I promise!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: In one of the reviews, someone asked me why Charlie is being abusive. It's because he has started drinking alcohol and is drunk all the time, and he isn't the same person he was. However, I don't really know why he started drinking. I just needed it for my story.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters; Stephanie Meyer does.**

Charlie was gone the next morning around 9:00, and Jacob came just before noon.

When I opened the door, I saw that he wore a look of anxiety. But it disappeared when he saw me, his face breaking out into a grin.

"Hey, Bella!" he said. "I haven't seen you in so long!"

"I know," I replied, thinking that we probably wouldn't be able to see each other much anymore. It was very possible that this would be the last time for me to see him. "Come in."

We walked to the living room and sat down on the couch. Jacob turned to face me, and said, "So, what did you want to tell me?"

I sighed, and proceeded to tell him everything, starting from the first time Charlie hit me to the present. It seemed like the few day's events could have taken place over the course of a month. The whole time I was speaking, I stared at the floor, not wanting to see Jacob's expression as he heard my unfortunate story. When I finished, I looked up at him, and was surprised to see the amount of anger that was in his face.

"You have to tell somebody!" he exclaimed.

"I just did."

"No!" He looked frustrated. "I mean someone with some sort of authority."

"Like who?"

"Like the police!" He gave me a look that convinced me that he thought I was stupid.

"Oh, please!" I scoffed. "Charlie would find out!"

Jacob exhaled sharply. "You don't have to tell Charlie. Tell one of his coworkers."

"He's the chief of police. He'd find out somehow."

"Whatever," Jacob said, giving up. "How about you tell a doctor?"

"A _doctor?_ What would that accomplish?"

Just then, the phone rang. I crossed my arms, leaning back on the couch and giving Jacob a meaningful look. He glared at me, then stood up and picked up the phone.

"Hello." His voice was annoyed. He listened for a second, and then he said, "No." A few seconds later, he said, "He's arranging a funeral." Then he hung up.

"Who was that?" I asked, still sitting on the couch.

"It was Dr. Carlisle Cullen." He sneered the name.

I gasped and scrambled to my feet. "What did he want?" I could not keep the raging curiosity out of my voice.

Jacob shrugged. "He asked if Charlie was home. I said no, and he asked where Charlie was. And I told him. Then he just hung up."

"Oh," I murmured, unsure of what to say, looking down at my feet. It was silent for a minute and then Jacob abruptly said, "Look. I'm going home. You can call me when you're done for good with those leeches. I don't want to be associated with anybody who is friends with them. Then he stormed out of the house, slamming the door.

The hole in my chest ripped itself open the second he was gone. But this time, the pain was almost doubled – this time, I had to deal with the loss of Edward and the (hopefully) temporary loss of Jacob. My knees felt weak, and I gripped the counter for support. Fat tears fell consistently down my face. When I finally ran out of tears, I wiped the wetness from my face. I went upstairs, into the bathroom, and looked at myself in the mirror. My eyes were extremely red and puffy, and it hurt to blink. I wondered if there was ever going to be a day when I would not feel any pain. If there was, it wasn't going to be any time soon. My knees still hurt, as did my ribs, stomach, and face. The complete misery of it all forced a few more tears from my eyes.

When I looked at the clock, I saw that it was past 2:00, and I hadn't eaten all day. However, I wasn't hungry. The only feeling coming from my stomach was a dull, yet constant soreness.

I moped around the house, looking for something to do to distract myself, and finally resorted to sitting on my bed in front of the window, watching the familiar rain make streaks against the window glass.

Suddenly, a very pale hand gripped the edge of the windowsill outside. I was sure I had imagined it, but the hand was soon joined by another. I watched, completely frozen, as one hand stayed planted on the windowsill and the other opened the window, which creaked and groaned due to lack of use. When it was halfway opened, a figure slipped through so gracefully, it could only be a vampire.

Sure enough, the figure was Alice.

Her hair was soaked entirely, which flattened her normally spiky hair against her head, but, other than that, she remained completely unchanged.

I wondered again if I was imagining it.

But – no, that didn't make any sense. If I was having hallucinations, then they would undoubtedly be of Edward. I concluded, with extreme joy, that I was not imaging this. This conclusion was further verified when Alice gave me a bone-crushing hug.

"Bella! Oh, Bella!" she sang. Her voice was filled with utter joy and relief. "So it's _not _true!" she muttered to herself.

"What's not true?" I asked. I suddenly felt guilty; I hadn't seen her in several months, and that was the best greeting I could give her.

Alice's eyes went wide at my question. Her face adopted a look of urgency and alarm.

"Bella, Edward thinks you're dead!"

I snorted. So? He didn't love me anymore.

"Why does that matter?" I questioned.

"He's going to Volterra as we speak, so he can ask the Volturi to kill him!"

"Why would he do that?"

Alice looked exasperated and slightly incredulous. "Bella, he can't live without you. He can't even live in a world where you don't exist."

"But he _left _me!"

"I know," said Alice sourly. "And I'm still not sure why he did that. He said some crap about how our world was too dangerous for you. But, Bella, he still loves you. He loves you more than ever."

My head was spinning. "Wait a minute," I said. "Back up. Why does Edward think I'm dead?"

"He just called."

I shook my head. "That was Carlisle."

"No, it was Edward. And when Jacob said that Charlie was arranging a funeral, he thought that the funeral was _yours_."

"What did he want to tell Charlie when he called?"

"Nothing," Alice said. "I had a vision this morning that you jumped off a cliff, and I assumed that it was to commit suicide. I told Rosalie, and she told Edward. Edward called to make sure that it was true."

Suddenly, I understood it all. Edward still loved me! But he thought I was dead, and right now he's…

"We have to stop him!" I shrieked. "He can't kill himself!"

"We'll have to leave right away," Alice said. "But there's no way we'll make it on time. We just have to hope that the Volturi will deny his request."

"Do you think they will?" I asked, afraid of the answer.

Alice shrugged. "I don't know. But we have to go _now_."

And with that, she picked me up swiftly, and we were out the door in a flash. Before I knew it, we were in the car, speeding down the street, on our way to save Edward.

**I hope you enjoyed! I'll update soon! 3 **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I would like to thank everyone who reviewed so much! You guys make my day. I usually write my chapters at night, but once I saw how much you guys like my story, I decided to go ahead and write the next chapter now. Enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters; Stephanie Meyer does.**

We made it to the airport in record time. Alice was more of a maniac on the road than Edward. At one point, she passed three cars in a row, and slid back to the right side of the road with no time to spare before a huge truck rumbled past us. If she had stayed on the left side of the road a mere second longer, we would have been toast. After that, I closed my eyes for the rest of the drive.

Alice screeched to a stop in front of the airport entrance and hopped out. I got out as well, and she grabbed my hand, towing me inside the airport. I was in danger of falling, but miraculously, I stayed on my feet the whole time, only tripping once.

We stopped at a long counter with the words Information Center over it. A bored-looking woman sat behind the counter, typing slowly on a computer. Alice cleared her throat, and the woman looked up.

"Are there and direct flights to Italy?" she asked, speaking quickly.

"No," the woman said, and turned her attention back to the computer.

Alice glared at her. "Are there any connecting flights that we can take to Italy?"

The woman sighed loudly. "You can take a flight to Atlanta, and then from there you can take a flight to Italy." Her voice was flat and disinterested.

"When's the next flight to Atlanta?" Alice asked.

"About fifteen minutes."

Alice turned away from the woman and grabbed my wrist. "Come on!" she said, beginning to tow me again, this time, to security.

"We'll never make it in time!" I said, eying the long line. Alice just rolled her eyes and began pushing her way to the front, pulling me after her. She went so far as to knock down an old lady, but she acted as if she didn't even notice. "Sorry!" I called, turning to see that the lady was struggling to get up. She glared at me.

We got to the front of the line and made our way through security quickly. Then we ran to the gate to find that the flight to Atlanta was already boarding. We got in line, and Alice sighed in relief. When it was our turn, a man standing at a counter eyed us and said, "Tickets, please." I heard Alice curse under her breath. We had forgotten to buy tickets. "Just a moment," she said to the man.

Frantically, she got out of line and began looking around. Her gaze focused in on the old lady she had knocked over, who was clinging to the arm of an old man. They were walking to our gate slowly. I noticed the lady was limping slightly. Suddenly, Alice was gone, only to reappear in half a second with two tickets in her hand. I looked at her questioningly. She slightly gestured to the old couple with her head, and I looked over to them to see that they looked confused. The man was searching his pockets for something. I turned and glared at Alice, and she shrugged innocently.

We made our way back to the man behind the counter. "Found them!" Alice chirped, holding up the tickets. The man examined them briefly, and then handed them back. "Enjoy your flight," he said. While Alice and I were walking to the plane, I heard the man say, "Can I help you?" Then I heard the voice of the old man. "Yes," he said, "We seem to have lost our tickets…" I glared at Alice again, and she just smiled.

We boarded the plane, and got settled in our seats. Alice was looking around appreciatively. "I'm so glad they bought first class seats," she gushed. I made no response and leaned my head against the window. Before we took off, I saw that Alice's car, which she had left in front of the entrance, was being towed.

The flight went by very slowly. I spent most of the time gazing out the window. _I'm coming, Edward_, I thought. _I love you._

The second we landed in Atlanta, Alice grabbed my wrist and pulled me towards the exit. We were out of the plane before most people had gotten out of their seats. She towed me around the airport, buying tickets (thank goodness) and pushing me through security, and then pulling me to the gate. We made it there with two minutes before boarding started. We were getting in line to board, when I realized something. "Alice," I exclaimed, "I don't have a passport!"

She glared at me and cursed under her breath. Then she got out of line, and I followed her. She stood in a dark corner about twenty feet away from the gate. "What are you doing?" I asked. She didn't answer. She just waited until everyone had boarded, and then she scooped me up in her arms. I felt an intense rush of air around us, and in the blink of an eye, we were in front of the plane. I realized that she had used vampire speed to sneak us through the gate. They would have without a doubt stopped me from boarding.

Once we were safely on the plane, I closed my eyes and tried to fall asleep to help the time go by faster. But after an hour, I still hadn't fallen asleep, so I opened my eyes and looked out the window. We were flying over the ocean. I turned and looked at Alice, but she had her eyes closed. I guessed that she was trying to look into the future. I waited for ten minutes, but her eyes remained closed.

"Alice?" I said, unable to contain myself any longer. She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at me. "Yeah?"

"Do you think the Volturi will grant Edward's wish?"

"I don't know." She sighed. "They haven't decided yet. Caius and Marcus want to, but Aro thinks it's a waste of talent. They're discussing it now."

"Oh," I said, and Alice closed her eyes again.

All was quiet for about a half hour. Suddenly, Alice's eyes flew open. "They just denied Edward his wish!" she exclaimed. Intense relief flooded through me, and I sighed happily. But then Alice's face took on a look of horror. "No!" she whispered.

"What?" I asked, scared.

"Edward's not giving up. He's planning on exposing himself to the people. You know, as a vampire. Once he does that, the Volturi will have to kill him."

"Oh, no!" I gasped, and the relief I had felt was replaced with horror. "How is he going to expose himself?"

Alice shook her head. "He keeps changing his mind. If we're lucky, he'll take long to decide and we'll be able to make it in time to stop him." She closed her eyes again, and she didn't open them until we were almost to Italy.

"Well?" I asked.

"He's going to step out into the sun in front of a huge crowd. But he's not going to do it until noon."

"What time is it?"

"It's about 11:10. It's going to be very close."

We landed shortly after, and Alice ran off when we were out of the airport to steal a car. She pulled up a minute later in a yellow Porsche 911 Turbo. "Get in!" she hissed. I wasted no time and jumped in, and Alice sped off.

_I'm almost there, Edward. _

I looked at the clock in the car. It was 11:42.

**Hope you enjoyed! **

**I will update as soon as I can!**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Woo hoo! Two chapters in one day! I'm on fire!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters; Stephanie Meyer does.**

The walls of Volterra rose up out of the rolling hills, and I knew that we were close.

I expected Alice to drive us right to where Edward was, but once we were inside the walls she stopped.

"You have to go stop him," she said.

I frowned. "Won't you come with me?"

Alice shook her head and looked up out the windshield. I followed her gaze and soon found what she was looking at. It was the sun, which shone brightly in the perfect blue sky, there being only one little cloud. There was no way that Alice could go outside, I realized.

"Where is he?" I asked.

"He's in an alley, right under the clock tower. You'll find it – it's huge. Just go in that direction," she said, pointing out the windshield. Sure enough, I could barely make out a huge clock in the distance. I nodded to Alice and then glanced at the clock. It was 11:56. _Crap._

I quickly got out of the car, not bothering to shut the door, and sprinted towards the big clock. This, however, was no easy task. After running for only about fifty feet, the fire in my knees made itself known again. I started breathing heavily, which made my ribs scream, and even my stomach started radiating pain. I didn't think that I could make it.

The clock tower grew closer and closer with each step, but deep in my heart I knew that my steps were numbered before I finally succumbed to the pain in my body and fell. But I made the most of each step. I focused only on my balance, the task at hand, and Edward. I couldn't fail at this. There was no way. The world couldn't lose something as wonderful as him – it wouldn't be able to function anymore.

And neither would I.

Spots began to cloud my vision. I wanted, almost more than anything, to stop and let myself rest for a minute. But I wouldn't do that, at least not voluntarily.

My energetic sprint was quickly replaced with a foot-dragging jog.

And then, when I was just a hundred feet from the tower, a man with a cane stepped right in front of me. I tried to dodge him, but my foot got caught on the cane, and I fell.

My blood spread quickly around me. I could see it trickling down the pavement.

The clock tower tolled. It was noon. And I had failed.

"Edward," I said, as loud as I could. But I knew it wasn't very loud. It was a whisper, at best.

The pavement was hot. It felt like my skin was literally baking. But I didn't care. My love, my very purpose in life was committing suicide at this very moment. So when darkness began creeping up, starting from the corners of my eyes, and making its way across my vision, making everything dim, I put my head down on the pavement and let the darkness consume me.

Edward's Point of View

_Hold on tight, Bella_, I thought. _I'm coming._

Just thirty more seconds.

Thirty more seconds before I would step out into the sun, thus forfeiting my life. This made me happy.

Each millisecond lasted a year, each second an eternity. Did everything just slow down?

I closed my eyes and thought of Bella; that made the time go by faster. I remembered her laugh, her eyes, her voice, her smell…

Oh, how I missed her. The pain that swelled inside me at these memories was unbearable. I reminded myself that soon I would be with her. That thought made some of the pain go away, but not completely.

It was almost time for me to step out of the shadows, so I pulled my shirt off. I wanted as many people to see me as possible, to guarantee that I would get killed. I closed my eyes and counted down in my head. _Five, four, three, two, on-_

Suddenly, the air was filled with the most wonderful scent in the world. So potent, so tantalizing, it could only be Bella's exposed blood. What did that mean?

My eyes flew open in shock. Just then, the clock tolled. Despite the smell, I was still planning on stepping out into the sun, but just as I raised my foot I heard Bella's sweet voice. It was very quiet, but clear as a bell. The voice said, "Edward."

Was Bella here? I had to go to her!

And for the first time in months, I got a stroke of good luck. For, just then, a small cloud slipped over the sun.

I ran slightly faster than a human could over to my Bella. The scent grew stronger with each step. And then, there she was, lying face down on the pavement, her blood spilling out around her. She looked unconscious.

I wanted to pick her up and admire her, but then the little cloud began moving again, and the sun started to come back up. Bella, my Bella, was hurt and in need of help, but the sun forced me to leave her that second and hide in a nearby alley. I didn't even have time to pick her up. The sun shone brightly again the very moment I slipped into the shadows.

My eyes were glued to Bella, and I watched as, a few minutes later, she got up and, to my horror, walked away. No! She couldn't leave!

"WAIT!" I yelled as loud as I could. "BELLA!"

She stopped in her tracks right then, and she turned around.

Our eyes met.

"Edward," she whispered.

And then she was running to me, and I wanted so badly to run to her too, but I was trapped where I was. All that I could do was watch as she ran, way too slowly, and open my arms to catch her when she finally reached me.

It felt so good when my arms encircled her body. I hugged her as tight as I dared. I kissed her head, and lowered my lips to her ear. "Bella," I whispered.

I felt her arms wrap around my neck. "Edward. I missed you so much, Edward."

"Oh, Bella," I whispered. "I missed you more than you know. I couldn't have lived much longer without you, Bella." I kissed her cheek, and oddly, she flinched. Startled, I examined her to find a healing purple bruise on her cheek. I gasped, and fingered the bruise lightly. "Bella. What happened?" I asked gently.

But she had no time to answer before I suddenly stiffened.

We were not alone.

I sensed the presence of a vampire behind me.

**I'll update soon!**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thanks always to everyone who reviewed! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters; Stephanie Meyer does.**

Edward's Point of View

This vampire's scent was not unfamiliar, but I couldn't quite place it. I had smelled it recently, but not for long. I closed my eyes and tried to remember, and then it hit me. I growled. What did _he _want?

"Hello, Felix," I said, with my back still turned to him. I was unwilling to take my eyes off my Bella.

"Hello, Edward," he purred.

I felt Bella stiffen; she was afraid. I was suddenly furious with Felix for interrupting our reunion, and for scaring my angel.

"What do you want?" I demanded.

"Oh, nothing, really. Aro just wants to have a little talk with you and – who's this?"

"This is Bella, my girlfriend." The love of my life, my soul-mate…

"Ah, so this is the one that caused all this trouble, yes?"

"Yes," I said coldly. I felt sudden warmth against my chest, and looked down at Bella to see that her face was tomato red.

"Yes. Well, we better get going now. Aro doesn't like to be kept waiting."

I sighed. "I really don't need to talk to him. You can let him know that his services are no longer required, and that I send my condolences."

Felix shook his head. "I'm sorry. That won't do. Aro _really _needs to speak with you."

I could that if I kept resisting, then a fight between us was inevitable. I was contemplating whether it would be better to fight Felix or try to escape with Bella, when someone else joined our little party.

"Sorry I'm late, Felix," said Demetri.

I sighed. Now I was outnumbered.

"Do you want to come with us, now, Edward?" Felix asked with a smug smile.

"Fine," I muttered. "Bella, why don't you go out wait for me, I won't be long."

"No," Demetri said. "Bring the girl."

"I don't think so," I growled under my breath.

"Why ever not, Edward?" Felix asked, smiling. "I'm sure Aro would love to meet your little girlfriend."

I was going to continue arguing, but just then Jane appeared. Great. Now I had no choice. If I continued to refuse, she would hurt me…or even worse, Bella, using her special powers.

Jane didn't need to say anything. I reluctantly stepped forward, my arm wrapped around Bella's waist. Felix and Jane both looked smug. I wanted to kill them. We started off, Demetri and Felix in the front and Jane in the back. Bella was looking around, like she was searching for something, or someone. "Where the hell is Alice?" she murmured to herself.

We slinked through the shadows until we reached the big castle. We went in through the main entrance, which featured several gargoyles that glared at us. They didn't fail to frighten Bella. She shuddered slightly, and I wrapped my arm tighter around her.

After the entrance was a long hallway with cobblestone floors and granite walls. Bare light bulbs were hung from the low ceiling every twenty feet. It was more than enough lighting for vampires, but I sensed that to Bella, it must look dim. She stumbled a few times, but I always caught her.

At the end of the hallway was an elevator. We went up to the third floor, and then we went down another hallway. This one was shorter and better lighted. We eventually reached a large green room, with a human woman sitting at a desk. "Hello, Felix, Demetri, Jane," she said, nodding to each one as she greeted them. "Hi Gianna," Demetri mumbled absentmindedly, and we moved on.

Finally, we reached the huge, grand room where Aro was waiting for us. I scowled when I saw him. He didn't notice, and approached me with his arms spread regally at his sides, a big smile plastered on his face. "Edward!" he sang, and gave me an unappreciated hug. "And who's this?" he asked, when he finally let go, looking at the beautiful creature at my side.

"This is Bella."

"Ah, yes. You told us about her yesterday, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Aren't you glad that I denied your wish, my dear Edward?"

"Yes," I said again, this time with a small hint of gratitude.

Aro turned his gaze to Bella again. "I've heard a lot about you," he stated. "Is it true that Edward can't read your mind?"

Bella nodded.

"Would you mind, if I tried to read yours?" he pleaded.

Bella looked confused, so I explained. "Aro has a gift that is a lot like mine. He can read minds as well, but he needs to be touching the person to be able to read their mind. However, he not only hears what you're thinking at the moment, but he hears every thought you've ever had."

Aro smiled weakly at Edward. "I can't imagine how… _convenient _that must be for you. To be able to read anyone's mind, anytime…" he broke off, and sighed. "Well, may I?" he asked again, smiling at Bella. She nodded, and he placed his hand on hers. He closed his eyes and waited. After a minute, he opened his eyes. "How interesting," he mused. "How very interesting."

He took his hand off of Bella's, but he was still staring at her. She shot me a questioning look, and I shook my head.

"Jane!" Aro suddenly called. I read his plan that was forming in his mind, and I didn't like it one bit. I growled. "Now, now, Edward," Aro chuckled, shaking his head slowly. "No need to be uptight."

Jane came in then. "Yes, Master?" she asked sweetly. Aro smiled down at her. "My dear Jane, it seems that little Bella here is immune to mine and Edward's powers. I was wondering if she was immune to yours as well!"

Jane's sweet smile turned devilish. "Why, of course, Master!" she gushed, and then before I could move a muscle, she was staring at Bella. As the seconds ticked by, her excited expression was replaced with a harsh glare. Bella looked around, unsure of what was happening. It was obvious that Bella was immune to Jane, but she persisted, giving Bella a menacing look. Bella flinched. Aro put an end to it then, placing his hand on Jane's shoulder. "It's okay, my dear one. I'm sure she's immune to all vampire powers." He cocked his head. "I wonder what _her_ power would be, if she was a vampire."

"That reminds me," said Caius, entering the room suddenly and startling us all, "She knows too much." He jabbed an accusing finger at Bella, who flinched.

"What do you mean, my dear brother?" Aro asked.

Caius growled. "Humans aren't supposed to know about us!" he spat.

"Oh, yes," Aro murmured. "I forgot about that." He glanced over at Bella. "It seems we'll have to do something about that, I suppose."

"We have two options," Caius stated. "The first is, we can kill her." I growled at that. He ignored me, continuing, "The second is, we can change her. Which one shall it be?"

I sighed. I didn't like either option, but I decided to play along. "I'll change her, after she graduates."

Caius looked as if that was the option he didn't want us to choose. "Wonderful!" Aro exclaimed. "I can't wait to see how she'll turn out."

"Yes, well, I'm afraid we must be going now," I said, eager to leave.

"So soon?" Aro pouted. He sighed. "Well, you must visit sometime in the near future."

"Sure," I lied, and with that, I stalked out of the room, pulling Bella with me. I strode quickly down the maze of hallways until we were back outside, and then I found a nearby deserted alley. I quickly wrapped Bella into an embrace, and she wrapped her arms around my neck. We stayed like that for a long time, until Bella spoke, breaking the silence. "Um, Edward, where's Alice?"

**I hope you enjoyed! I'll try to update soon!**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: A big thanks to all of my readers! You guys mean so much to me. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters; Stephanie Meyer does.**

Bella's Point of View

Edward shrugged, and got out his phone. He dialed Alice's number, and waited. It went directly to voicemail. He growled and left a short message:

"Alice, it's Edward. Where are you? Call me back."

He flipped the phone shut and put it in his pocket.

Then he paused, and I assumed he was searching the thoughts of people on the street to see if he heard Alice. He finally slid his eyes to mine and said, "Well, we know she's not in Volterra. We should get out of here, and then search for her."

I agreed, and Edward took my hand. We silently slinked through the shadows together.

Or, it was more like _he _silently slinked through the shadows and I just tried my best not to trip.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Edward asked me, when we had reached the entrance to Volterra.

"Right here. She was in a car, and she told me to go. She didn't say anything about going anywhere else."

Edward sighed and shook his head. "I wouldn't be surprised if she had gone off shopping." (**LOL…I got that idea from a review)**

I chuckled weakly. It was a possibility.

"Let's go to the airport," Edward suggested. "Maybe she went to buy tickets home for us." His voice didn't sound convinced, but it was better than nothing.

Edward quickly hijacked a small Mercedes, and then we were off. We reached the airport quickly, and then Edward parked the car and we started to head towards to entrance. But, waiting for us right there in the middle of the parking lot, was Alice.

She smiled. "I saw that you were coming here."

"Alice!" Edward hissed. "Where have you _been_?"

"Nice to see you too, Edward," Alice replied.

"Good to see you, Alice. Now where have you been?"

Alice suddenly looked sheepish, and I was sure that if she had been human her face would have been bright red.

"Well?" Edward pressed when she didn't respond.

"I... uh… I actually got arrested."

"Arrested?" Edward growled. "For _what_?"

"Stealing that Porsche was a bad idea," Alice muttered, looking down at her feet. "It turned out the owner called the police when he saw his car was gone, and they found me pretty easily."

"I can't believe you got arrested," Edward said, his voice strained. "I can't believe it."

"Hey!" Alice interjected angrily. "I'd already seen that everything was going to go smoothly! If I saw that a problem was going to arise, I would have broken out and helped you!"

Edward sighed and let it drop.

"Let's go home," I suggested.

"Already?" Alice asked, sounding like a little kid. "But I haven't even gotten to shop here yet… are you sure you don't want to go to Rome? Just for a day?"

Edward chuckled and I shook my head. "Nope. Let's just go home."

Alice sighed heavily and muttered to herself. Edward chuckled again and we made our way into the airport.

A half hour later, we were on a plane in the first class, Edward and I sitting next to each other and Alice sitting across the aisle. She was pouting and staring out the window angrily.

I was excited to be spending the whole flight with Edward, but that excitement disappeared about twenty minutes after we took off, when Edward fingered the bruise on my cheek again.

"Are you ready to tell me what happened now?"

No. Not really.

Well, he had to find out some time.

So I sighed, and spoke the dreaded words:

"Charlie started abusing me."

Edward's Point of View

The moment she spoke those horrid words, I was consumed with a rage so powerful that I was literally seeing red.

"Edward?" asked Bella, whose face was tinted a light orange, "Are you okay?"

I realized how frightening I must look to her. I always started to look like a… well, a _vampire_ when I got really angry. I just nodded stiffly and tried my hardest to unclench my fists.

It took me a full hour, but I finally contained my anger enough to be able to speak again.

"What did he do?"

"He just hit me, mostly. He kicked me on one occasion." She winced at the memory. "I actually think he may have broken a rib or two. But I'm fine, really." I sighed and shook my head. She had gotten abused by her father, and she was trying to comfort me, to convince me that she was fine.

"I'm not letting you go back to him," I muttered, and Bella's eyes widened.

"I can't just not come home," she protested. "Just let me go there when we get back, and let me show him that I'm alive. He's probably thinking that I got kidnapped or ran away or something."

"Why do you have to do that? After what he's done to you, he doesn't deserve peace of mind."

"Please?" she pleaded, turning the overwhelming force of her eyes on me. Why did she have to do that?

"Fine," I agreed reluctantly. "But just for tonight. And I'll be with you every minute. I won't let him hurt you."

"Okay," she quickly agreed. "But what about after that? Where should I stay?"

I sighed heavily. "Bella, you are completely and utterly ridiculous."

"What?" She looked at me blankly.

"You're going to stay with me and my family."

Her eyes grew wide. "Oh no, I don't want to intrude on you guys…"

"You're not intruding!" Alice called from across the aisle, turning many heads. "Please come stay with us, please! We can be shopping partners!"

Bella's face paled at that.

"You shouldn't have mentioned that last part, Alice," I said so quickly no humans could have heard me. She gave me an angelic smile. "Oh, come on. She's going to say yes."

I took my eyes off my annoying sister and returned them to Bella. "Please, Bella? It'd make everyone so happy. Especially Carlisle and Esme. Emmett and Jasper would love it, too."

She pursed her lips. "What about Rosalie?"

"Rosalie is not an issue. She doesn't hate you, Bella. Remember, she's just jealous."

Bella sighed. "Are you sure I wouldn't be intruding?"

"Quite the opposite, Bella."

"Okay," she finally agreed with a yawn.

"Why don't you get some sleep?" I suggested. "You look exhausted."

She nodded weakly and leaned her head on my shoulder. I wrapped my arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head. Soon, her breathing grew slower and heavier as she slept. It was just like it used to be, me holding her while she slept, but yet so much had changed.

I guess that was something that the universe could never take away.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Sorry for not updating sooner! I usually try to write one chapter each day, but these past couple days I've had a textbook case of writer's block. So, without further ado, here is the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters; Stephanie Meyer does.**

Edward's Point of View

Bella was still sleeping as we landed in Atlanta. I carried her through the airport and on to the next plane, and she didn't wake up until we were one hour into the flight. I smiled as she groggily rubbed her eyes and yawned.

"Are we almost to Atlanta?" she asked, her voice rough.

I chuckled. "We already landed in Atlanta, love. Now we're on our way to Seattle."

"Oh." She looked startled. "I thought I was just going to take a nap…" she broke off with a sigh. She seemed upset about something.

"What's the matter, Bella?" I asked gently.

She bit her lip for a second before she answered. "I just… I didn't think that we'd be this far by now. And now I'm that much farther from seeing Charlie." She sighed again.

"You don't have to see him, you know," I reminded her gently, stroking her cheek.

She just shook her head, and I sighed. "You won't be alone," I promised, and the corners of her lips slightly twitched upward.

The time passed quickly, much to Bella's distaste, and before we knew it we were landing in Seattle. Carlisle, Esme, and Jasper were waiting for us at the gate. Alice smiled widely when she saw Jasper, and they embraced passionately. Meanwhile, Carlisle was staring at me with a slightly frustrated expression, and Esme, for the first time ever, looked angry.

"Don't you ever do that again, Edward!" she scolded, referring to my trip to Volterra to commit suicide.

"I won't," I promised, but I knew that if Bella were to… leave this world I would go to Volterra again.

I saw that my "promise" seemed to comfort Esme, and most of the anger drained from her face.

"You really, scared us, there, son," said Carlisle.

"I know. I'm sorry." I muttered.

After that, thankfully, Esme and Carlisle's attention was focused on Bella. Esme took her hand and smiled warmly at her. "Thank you so much, dear. I don't know what I would have done if I had lost him." Bella smiled back, and blushed, saying, "No problem, Esme." Carlisle chuckled softly at her blush, hopefully to quiet for her to hear. "We really missed you, Bella. All of us," he said. Except there was a slight undertone of falsehood to his statement. Everyone seemed to have the same thought, then: _Except for Rosalie._ And I would have bet that Bella was thinking of Rosalie as well.

That reminded me of when she called me, telling me that Bella was dead. All that despair and agony that I'd experienced were because of _her_. And if I hadn't thought Bella was dead, I would have never gone to Volterra, and she wouldn't have risked her life to save me. I flinched at the memory of Bella, bloody and crumpled on the cobblestones in Volterra. And suddenly, I was furious with Rosalie.

Which was probably why she wasn't here right now. She was probably hiding with Emmett, like the coward she was.

After our reunion, we headed to the parking lot. Carlisle and Esme got into a car they had rented, but Alice hijacked a car for her, Jasper, Bella, and I.

It was a three hour drive to Forks for most people, but thanks to my driving we got there in just over an hour. When we were just ten miles away, I remembered that Bella was dreading seeing Charlie, so I slowed down to 65 miles per hour. Alice and Jasper noticed from the back seat and complained, but I silenced them with a glare and a low growl.

Nonetheless, we pulled up in front of Bella's house soon, and I heard her heartbeat get faster and faster.

"It's okay, love," I murmured, but she didn't seem to calm down. I waited for a minute, so she could compose herself, and then she took a deep breath and said, "I'm as ready as I'll ever be." We both opened our doors and stepped out. I walked Bella to her front door. I was vaguely aware of Alice driving the car we had stolen away. Bella's heartbeat was still frantic, so I kissed the top of her head and pulled her into my arms. "Can you do me a favor?" she mumbled against my chest. I laughed softly. "That depends on what it is."

She sighed loudly. "If—I mean, when Charlie hurts me, I don't want you to stop him."

I was shocked. I gasped, and I'm sure my eyes had turned deep black. "Why?"

"If he sees you, and we leave together, he'll know where I am. I don't want him to come back for me—"

"Bella," I cut her off, "You know my family and I would never let him get past us."

She shook her head feebly. "I don't want to take any chances. I know you guys wouldn't get hurt, but I don't want to live in constant fear of him coming for me. And I don't want to be a burden to you guys."

I wanted to protest, but I could see she was set on this. "Just as stubborn as ever," I muttered to myself.

"Do you promise?" she asked.

"Maybe. If it gets to be too much, I'm not just going to stand around and watch."

She didn't look satisfied, but she knew that was the best answer she was going to get.

"I love you," she murmured before she opened the door.

"I love you too."

And then she went inside.

**Haha I love to give cliffhangers but hate to get them.**

**I'll try and update soon! I won't keep you guys hanging for long!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I was thinking about waiting another day to update but I love you guys so here's the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or any of the characters; Stephanie Meyer does.**

Bella's Point of View

The house was dark, the only light coming from a lamp in the living room. It made everything seem more ominous. I tiptoed as quietly as I could to the stairs, and was actually entertaining the thought of making it the whole night without Charlie knowing I was there, when a light snapped on behind me. I froze in my tracks.

"Well," Charlie slurred, "Look who decided to come home." He was obviously drunk. I didn't answer him. I couldn't move.

"Where have you been, Bells?" he asked, feigning kindness. How was I supposed to answer that? I should have thought of a good alibi on the plane. I tried to think of one now, but none came to mind. My desperate thinking was interrupted when I felt a blow from behind. "Answer me when I talk to you!" Charlie screamed, all of his fake kindness gone. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?"

"I was in La Push," I managed to spit out. "With Jacob." I felt another blow, this one much harder than the last. I toppled to the floor, and Charlie towered over me. I hoped that Edward wouldn't interfere. I didn't want him to get in trouble. If Charlie saw him, he would charge him for breaking and entering. That is, if he left Charlie alive. As much as I feared Charlie, I really didn't want Edward to kill him.

"Don't you dare lie to me!" Charlie growled. "I asked Billy if you were there with him, and he said no! He would've known if you were there! Now tell me the truth!"

"I was with Angela," I quickly lied. This response earned me two kicks in the ribs. "Why would you try to hide that from me?" Charlie snarled. He had a point. I guess that cops are good at finding flaws in people's excuses. Charlie kneeled down and looked me right in the eye. "I bet you were with your little boyfriend. Edward, right? I bet you ran off to him because you're such a poor miserable excuse for a girl with no friends. I know I'm right. Don't deny it."

He was pretty close to the truth, but I didn't want to confirm his suspicion. I really didn't want to bring Edward into this. "No," I whimpered. "That's not it…"

Suddenly, I was broken off with a hard kick in the ribs, which knocked the wind out of me. I gasped for air, but he was punching me over and over, and I couldn't seem to get my breath back. I coughed loudly. "Shut up!" Charlie bellowed. He placed his heavy boot on my arm and stepped down, hard. This was pure torture. He stepped down on it again, and I felt the bone break in two. I tried to muffle my scream for Edward's sake, but a tortured cry still escaped my lips. "Be quiet, you miserable wretch!" He placed his boot on my chest. I closed my eyes and waited for the pain that was sure to follow, but there was nothing. In the distance, I heard a snap, followed by a loud crash. And then Charlie's anguished cry filled my ears.

Edward's Point of View

It was the hardest thing I ever had to do, to watch the monster called Charlie hurt his own daughter, my Bella, so badly. Her pained cries seemed to echo in my head, and I flinched every time the brute hit her. I ended up hanging on to a tree to keep myself from flying into the house and throwing Charlie off of her. My poor, innocent Bella—it shattered my heart into a million pieces to see her getting beaten right in front of my very eyes. And there was nothing I could do about it.

I was so close to interfering when Charlie broke her arm, but I was able, with an enormous amount of effort, to keep myself rooted. But when Charlie put his boot on her chest, preparing to stomp down, I couldn't just sit by and watch. She was still gasping for breath, and if he did this she would be unable to breathe. Not to mention the broken ribs.

So at that point, I drew the line. That was enough. The tree I had been grasping with all my might snapped and toppled to the ground, making a loud, sickening thud. I raced into the house as fast as I could, not stopping to open a door. Instead, I crashed through the window, and in the next second I was at the horrible scene. I wasted no time, and threw myself at Charlie. His head cracked on the floor, and he moaned. I knew I had to get to Bella—she was badly hurt, but I couldn't resist flinging Charlie into a wall for good measure. The impact knocked him unconscious.

I wanted to hurt him more, preferably to kill him, but then Bella groaned and I focused my attention on her. I scooped her up into my arms and ran out the door. She was bleeding in multiple places, her arm was broken, and I was sure some ribs were broken as well. I was also positive there would be terrible bruising. My poor Bella—such a sweet angel should never be hurt like this.

We made it to my house in a matter of minutes. I burst in the door, Bella lying limply in my arms. "Carlisle!" I called desperately. He rushed down the stairs and gasped at the sight of my poor, broken Bella. "Oh my," he murmured. I could see he was trying to remain calm, but his voice held a note of alarm. "Get her up to my office," he ordered. "I'll be there in a minute."

I obeyed and raced up to his office, and laid Bella down. Her breathing was shallow. "Bella," I begged, "Bella, are you okay?"

"Yes—I'm fine," she murmured quietly, although her eyes were closed and her voice was strained. A cut on her cheek was oozing blood, but I had no sort of temptation. My only concern was of her well-being.

Carlisle entered the room then, his doctor's bag in his hand. "Alright," he said, "Let's have a look."

**I will try to update soon!**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Well, this is the last chapter! I was planning on making the story longer, drawing it out more, but the truth is that I just have no more to tell. I'm just going to wrap up a few story lines in this brief chapter, and then that'll be it. A big thank you to all my readers. You guys have inspired me to keep writing.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters; Stephanie Meyer does.**

Bella's Point of View

For once, luck was on my side.

After Carlisle examined me, he proclaimed that I had two broken ribs and a broken arm. He also said I would have horrible bruising and it would take a while for everything to heal.

But there would be no permanent damage, both physically and psychologically.

Edward was there, holding my hand while Carlisle ran his cold hands over my body. He cared for me when I was confined to bed for most of the day. He talked with me, he held me, he cared for me, and he loved me. He was there during those months it took for me to heal, and he would be there with me forever.

Charlie was arrested the night he attacked me after a neighbor called the police, complaining about all the noise. The cops – his own co-workers – found him unconscious on the floor with blood all around him. It didn't take them long to figure out that the blood on the floor wasn't coming from him.

However, he didn't spend long in jail. He was found guilty for child abuse, and he was sentenced to ten years in prison. Instead, he dipped into his retirement savings and my own savings for college and paid off the bail. The last I heard of him was that he had fled to Oregon and worked as a mailman.

I found all of this out from Alice. During the first few weeks of my recovery, Jasper had had to stay away, because he couldn't stand the smell of the blood from my deep cuts. Alice went with him, naturally, and together they tracked Charlie. When they were sure he would no longer be a threat, they returned, and by that time my cuts were covered with fragile, pink skin.

Everything seemed perfect – except for Jake. I hadn't seen or talked to him since our fight after I told him that Charlie was abusing me. I asked Edward about it once, if he could read Jake's mind, but when he tried he got this odd look on his face and told me it would be best if I stayed away from Jake. I didn't like this, and I planned on confronting him about it later.

The only thing left on my mind was the painful, ever-present barrier between Edward and I; the barrier that was evident whenever I touched his skin or when he stepped out into the sun.

How could I spend eternity with Edward if I was a mortal?

I begged and pleaded with him, but he wouldn't change me. I got Carlisle, Alice, Emmett, and Jasper on my side, and together we tried to convince him. I think what finally did him in was when Carlisle said: "You know, son, this is Bella's choice. You can't keep making choices for her; every person has their own mind and it's up to them to choose what direction they want their life to take. You don't want to take away Bella's freedom, would you? I'm afraid if you do that, you might lose her." This was utterly ridiculous; I would never leave Edward, and Carlisle knew it too. He winked at me after saying this, but Edward didn't see because his head was lowered. After that, he no longer interjected whenever I talked about becoming an immortal. And Carlisle promised to change me if Edward still refused.

It took time, but I healed; and I knew that some day this would all be just a memory.

I knew that time would pass by, and even the most wonderful moments would have to end.

But, luckily for us, time would mean next to nothing. So with the passing of one beautiful moment, I could count on another to come soon.

I thought back to the day when I had raced to save Edward in Volterra. I remembered how close I had been to the clock tower, how it seemed I could reach out and touch it. But my broken wings would not allow me to go any farther. I knew that once, my wings would have been able to carry me the whole way to the clock tower, maybe even into Edward's arms. But Charlie took them and broke them, and so I collapsed on the cobblestones, unable to go any farther.

But sometimes broken wings are the ones with the most potential to fly.

**THE END**

**I would like to thank all of my readers once again. If you liked my writing, then stay tuned cause I have two ideas for great stories, and I also might post some one-shots if I get bored.**

**-Silver Creek**


End file.
